Manufacture and production of artificial filaments and apparatus therefor



MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR H. GIVENS July 8, 1941.

Filad Jan. 8, 1938 s N a w e N n H o J by 2125 afforneys stretching and heating a thread or Patented July 8, 1941 FICIAL FILAMENTS AND THEREFOR John Harrison or to Courtaulds, British company APPARATUS Givens, Coventry,lEngland, assign- Limited, London,

England, a

' Application January s, 1938, Serial No. l84,l02 a In Great Britain January 8, 1937 5 Claims.

In the production of artificial filaments, threads and the like (hereinafter referred to as threads) by the extrusion of viscous materials such as viscose into a precipitating or evaporative medium, it is known that threads of increased tensile strength are obtained if, after formation, but before complete setting, stretching and heating of the thread is effected.

In one method of effecting heating and stretching, the thread is led from the nozzle through the precipitating bath, over a guide, round a rotating godet to a second godet rotating at a greater speed than the first. Thence it passes to a centrifugal box or other collecting device. The first godet is partially immersed in a bath of hot water, hot dilute acid or the like, so that the thread carried round by it is continually passed through the hot liquid.

When starting spinning, the operator takes the thread in his fingers and leads it over the path described above. Once the initially extruded thread is passed to the centrifugal box or other collecting or removing device, the thread produced thereafter, automatic-ally follows the same course. Since however, it is desirable to have the liquid in the bath in which the first godet is partially immersed at a temperature approaching that of boiling water, it is difficult for the operator to pass the thread round the godet rotating therein, without scalding his fingers.

More than two godets may of course be employed for stretching the thread and any, or all of them, may be partially immersed in hot liquid.

According to this invention the process of bundle of threads by passing the said thread or bundle in succession round two or more godets, each of which rotates with a greater peripheral speed than the previous one, one or more of the said godets being partially immersed in a hot liquid, is characterized in that the aforesaid godet or godet-s immersed in the hot liquid are substantially cylindrical for only a portion of their length and are conical or tapered for the remainder of their length, so that at least a part of the conical or tapered portion projects from the surface of the hot liquid.

When starting stretching the operator passes the thread for example, over the godet round the cylindrical part, over a guide arranged near the side of the godet, above the level of the liquid and then under the godet round the conical part which is not in the bath. The passage round the godet is preferably repeated once or twice in similar fashion to prevent slipping of the thread,

due to the stretching operation. The thread is then passed in the usual manner from this godet over the second godet, which rotates with greater peripheral speed, so that stretching occurs, and then to a centrifugal box or other collecting device.

The accompanying diagrammatic drawing 'illustrates two views at right angles of apparatus for carrying out the present invention, but the invention is not restricted to the particular apparatus shown.

A supply pipe I provided with a nozzle 2 is immersed in a coagulating bath 3. Viscose is extruded from the nozzle and the resulting bundle of filaments 4 after passing, if desired, over a guide 5, is led over the cylindrical part 13 of the rotating godet 1, over the guide 8 and under the conical part M of the godet. It is then passed round the godet and guide in a similar path a second time (shown at l2) and is then passed over the guide 9 and twice round the second godet or roller In which is rotating at a greater peripheral speed than the godet I to a collecting box H. The thread does not continue to run round the tapered portion of the first godet l, in the path described and shown in the drawing by dotted lines, but moves along the surface of the godet until it is passing round the cylindrical portion and therefore through the hot liquid 6 as shown in the drawing by continuous lines.

-What I claim is:

1. In the manufacture and production of ar'tificial filaments, in which the thread being produced is passed round a rotating godet partially immersed in a liquid at a temperature approaching that of boiling water and it is difficult for the operator to pass the thread round the godet therein without scalding his fingers, said godet comprising a substantially cylindrical surface and a tapered surface having its smaller end above the surface of said liquid, the method of starting the thread onto said godet which comprises passing the leading end of the thread being produced through a guide adjacent said cylindrical surface and then under said tapered godet surface above the level of said liquid and drawing the thread away from the partially immersed godet in such a way as to cause the thread to travel to the cylindrical portion, whereby rotation of said godet transfers said pass from said godet surface above the liquid level to said immersed godet surface.

2. Apparatus for treating threads with liquid, comprising a tank for holding said treating liquid, a draw ofi device, and a godet having a cylindrical portion partially immersed in the treating liquid, in combination with a guide adjacent said partially immersed cylindrical portion, and tapered godet means above the surface of said liquid for receiving the leading end of the thread, said guide and tapered godet means cooperating to feed said leading end onto the cylindrical portion and into said liquid.

3. Apparatus for treating threads with liquid, comprising means for holding said treating liquid, a draw off device, and a godet having a cylindrical portion and a conical portion tapering inwardly therefrom, said cylindrical part being partially immersed in the treating liquid, a guide positioned radially of said cylindrical part and above the surface of said liquid, the smaller end of said conical portion extending above the surface of said liquid.

4. Apparatus for treating threads with liquid, comprising a tank for holding treating liquid, a 20 draw .ofi device, and a godet having a cylindrical portion partially immersed in the treating liquid, a guide positioned radially of said cylindrical portion and above the surface of said liquid, and means cooperating with said guide for receiving the leading portion of said thread above the surface of said liquid for starting the thread onto said godet, said means cooperating with said draw ofi device for transferring the oncoming thread onto said godet clear of said means.

5. Apparatus for use in the manufacture and production of artificial filaments which comprises a tank for hot liquids, a rotatable godet round which the said filaments are passed, the said godet being so placed that one end is partially immersed in the said hot liquid and the other end is entirely above the level of the said hot liquid in the tank and means for guiding the said filaments from t'he portion of the godet which is not immersed to the portion which is partially immersed.

JOHN HARRISON GIVENS. 

